EXCLUSIVE: Inside Prince William and Kate Middleton's Stunning Forever Home – How the Future King and Queen Plan to Renovate Their New Estate From the Doors to Floors
Prince William and Kate Middleton plan to renovate their forever home, updating every detail from doors to floors.
Sept. 16 2025, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Prince William and Princess Kate are moving on up.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the royal family – along with their three children, Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7 – will be relocating from Adelaide Cottage to Forest Lodge, an eight-bedroom Georgian mansion on the grounds of Windsor Great Park, this fall.
"This is where William and Kate want to grow old together," a source told RadarOnline.com, "and create magical memories, even after they take the crown."
A New Beginning In The Royal Family
Queen Elizabeth II's death and King Charles III's cancer battle marked the Waleses' time at Adelaide Cottage.
It will be a new beginning for the family. Their time at Adelaide has been marked by grief and adversity: William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, died shortly after they moved to the four-bedroom home (also on the grounds of Windsor Castle) from London's Kensington Palace in 2022.
And in March 2024, Kate revealed she'd been diagnosed with cancer, just one month after William's father, King Charles III, announced his cancer diagnosis. Indeed, William has called 2024 "the hardest year of my life."
In January, Kate announced she's in remission.
Now, says the source, William and Kate, both 43, "are beyond excited to put the stress of the past few years behind them with a fresh start in their dream home."
Princess Anne was once linked to Forest Lodge, though she and Mark Phillips never moved into the estate.
The impressive three-story red brick property was built in the 1770s and purchased by the Crown Estate in 1829. Until the 1930s, it was home to the Deputy Ranger of the 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park; in the 1970s, there was talk the king's sister, Princess Anne, would move in with then-husband Mark Phillips, but they never did.
The house, leased for years, underwent a $2 million renovation in 2001 and features marble fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and nine bay windows, along with tennis courts and a view of Wembley Stadium (where William watches his beloved football matches).
Kate and William are planning on further renovations, including putting in new doors, windows and floors, as well as making ceiling repairs.
"They're already working with a construction team to change things up and add some personal touches that will reflect their tastes," said the source. "It's being funded entirely out of their own pocket, they didn't consider asking King Charles for a penny."
The Crown Estate collects rent from Prince William and Princess Kate for their new Windsor residence.
They're also paying rent to the Crown Estate (in 2001, rent was $20,000 a month).
The move has sparked some controversy amid reports two families were forced from their homes to make room for the royals.
A source told a U.K. newspaper that tenants who were living in nearby cottages "were told they had to move."
It's believed they were relocated to similar housing in Windsor Great Park.
While Forest Lodge boasts more square footage than Adelaide Cottage, William and Kate will continue to forego help from live-in staffers.
"There will still be staff to assist with cleaning and taking care of the outdoors, but the family will have the home to themselves," explained the source.
Some speculate staff will be housed in the vacated cottages.
"It's very different from how royals used to handle matters – there were almost always live-in staff and butlers tending to the senior royals' every whim – but the Waleses don't subscribe to that mentality. They also want to maintain a sense of normalcy for the kids."
Eton College is considered the most likely choice for Prince George when he advances from Lambrook School.
The children are thrilled about the upgrade. "They can't wait to decorate their new rooms," said the source. The younger two will continue to attend the local Lambrook School, while the source said nearby Eton College (William's alma mater) "is the most likely choice" for George next year.
"Having the family home just down the street in Windsor is absolutely perfect as he'll be able to come and go a lot more."
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King Charles III reportedly wants William and Kate to increase their royal engagements after the move.
The move itself – scheduled to take place before Christmas – will be a bit stressful, especially amid grumbling that William and Kate aren't doing enough royal engagements. They've been largely out of the public eye since attending Wimbledon in mid-July and reportedly enjoyed a secret family getaway in Greece.
"It's widely believed Charles would like to see William and Kate step up and carry out more royal engagements," says the source. "Still, it's an exciting time and everyone's thrilled Kate and William have picked their forever home. It's a special moment for the whole family."
